A 3-year-old boy hit with a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve has died. Memphis police confirmed the news in an interview. “Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” said Officer Christopher Williams.
Williams added that the Memphis Police Department is looking into the case as the investigation is ongoing. He also revealed that “investigators are working tirelessly and diligently to bring those responsible to justice.” One of the hundreds of gunshots recorded in Memphis on New Year’s Eve hit the 3-year-old Brayden Smith.
The stray bullet from the celebratory gunfire entered through the window of his Tennessee home, striking him on Sunday evening. Police say the family was celebrating at home when the bullet struck Smith at around 6 pm on December 31, 2023.
The department posted on X that they received a call about the shooting around that time. However, according to the police, celebratory gunfire is illegal in Memphis. Following the tragic incident, Smith’s parents rushed him to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, a local children’s hospital, in critical condition.
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He remained in the hospital until he succumbed to his injuries, police spokesperson Williams said. Smith’s grandmother, Tasha Davis, condemned the incident in an interview.
“Brayden was three. He’s a baby. I don’t have my grandson; my daughter doesn’t have her son,” Davis said. “He’s on life support. Turn yourself in,” she added. “He was hilarious, I mean, he was his own person,” she concluded. Assistant Police Chief Don Crowe also shockingly revealed to a local news station.
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He said that “preliminary information suggests a random bullet may have come from a different part of the apartment complex. “We’ve tried to stress that this month: Celebratory gunfire is illegal,” he added. In addition, Crowe said, “Celebratory gunfire leads to tragic events like this, and we just have to stop shooting these guns.
Also, the department said they received records of more than 327 gunshots from the department’s gunfire detection software. They added that dispatchers received about 195 calls of shots fired, Williams confirmed. The incident is still under investigation, as the police haven’t identified or apprehended the shooter.
Hours after Smith’s tragic death, a person close to the family created a GoFundMe to share the “heartbreaking news.” According to reports, the fundraiser has raised over $2000 to “help support Smith’s family during this unimaginably difficult time.”
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Aside from Smith, stray bullets injured other children on New Year’s Eve. An 11-year-old Minneapolis girl was in her bedroom when a bullet came flying through her bedroom window minutes after midnight. According to her family’s statement, the bullet hit her in the face.
Similarly, a stray bullet hit a 10-year-old boy in the stomach in St. Paul, Minnesota. However, police said he would survive the shot. According to reports, Smith’s death marked the 398th homicide Memphis saw in 2023. Consequently, the city experienced the highest murder count per capita of all large cities across the US in 2023.
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